The present invention relates to a bed apparatus with a urinal.
There are a number of persons who cannot urinate by themselves, being bed ridden, such as hospital patients and older persons. A bed apparatus with a urinal has been developed for such persons.
Conventionally, bed apparatuses with a urinal have been constructed as follows. An opening section is formed in a cushion unit which is placed atop a bed frame, and a cover is swingably attached to the opening section. Rails are laid horizontally under the bed frame, and a traveling urinal is set on the rails. The urinal is driven by a drive mechanism. The travel of the urinal and the swing of the cover are interlocked by means of, e.g., links. In actual use, when the cover is swung to open the opening section, the urinal is located under the opening section in such a way as to face the same.
According to such prior art apparatuses, however, the urinal travels horizontally beneath the bed frame, so that it is impossible to fit the urinal into the opening section. Accordingly, not only is there a difference in level greater than the thickness of the cushion unit between the top opening of the urinal and the top face of the cushion unit, but there is also a gap between the top opening of the urinal and the bottom face of the bed frame. Therefore, excrements discharged from a user's body are liable to stick to the inner peripheral surface of the opening section, or to scatter through the gap, spoiling the sanitary conditions of the apparatus. The substantial difference in level between the top face of the cushion unit and the top opening of the urinal thus makes use of the urinal awkward.